Listen: Michigan’s Own Roger Corman

Michigan’s Own Roger Corman: The Mastermind Behind Hollywood’s Greatest Hits

Director Allan Arkush praised his former boss, Roger Corman, as “the only person who knows how to make a movie” at Beyond Fest in Santa Monica. Corman, now 97 years old, was the guest of honor at the genre-focused festival and participated in a panel discussion with directors Ron Howard, Joe Dante, and others. Corman’s independent production company, New World Pictures, launched the careers of numerous Hollywood talents, including Jonathan Demme and Curtis Hanson.

During the discussion, Corman revealed that being cheated out of profits by distributors led him to establish his own distribution company. The Beyond Fest paid tribute to Corman with a marathon of his films, including classics like “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School,” “Piranha,” and “The Raven.” The audience gave Corman a standing ovation, acknowledging his immense contribution to cinema.

The directors who worked under Corman praised his knowledge and expertise, highlighting how rare it is to find someone in the industry who can truly guide and inspire. Corman’s improvisational approach and hands-on teaching style created an environment that allowed young talent to flourish.

Corman’s journey in the film industry began as a critic before transitioning to producing and eventually directing. Despite having no formal training, Corman’s debut film, “Five Guns West,” was a success, catapulting him into a career in directing.

The panel discussion at Beyond Fest served as a nostalgic reminder of the golden years of filmmaking when passion and talent took precedence over corporate red tape. Corman’s influence on the industry is undeniable, and his impact on the careers of directors and producers is immeasurable.

Join us in celebrating the incredible legacy of Roger Corman, the Michigan-born visionary who shaped Hollywood’s landscape and continues to inspire generations of filmmakers.

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Listen (continue): Roger Corman Tribute.

Howard reminisced about his unconventional desire to become a director after working as a child actor. At the time, most executives dismissed the idea, except for Corman, who offered him a chance to direct the second unit in exchange for starring in “Eat My Dust!” Following the success of that film, Howard was allowed to helm “Grand Theft Auto.”

“I pitched various genres like noir, thriller, and sci-fi. Finally, Roger said, ‘Well, those are all very interesting. But I’m most intrigued by stories about young people on the run and car-crash movies. While testing titles, one came close: ‘Grand Theft Auto.’ If you can create a comedy with that title in which you can star, then I’ll let you make the film’,” Howard shared. “It was probably the quickest green light I’ve ever received in Hollywood.”

However, the road to success did not have hurdles for the now-Oscar winner. At just 23 years old, Howard faced a disheartening test screening that did not attract the intended audience for his film.

“The theater was filled with elderly audience members. Blue-haired ladies… I approached Roger and said, ‘Roger, this is the wrong audience.’ He replied, ‘Ron, a laugh is a laugh’,” Howard revealed, acknowledging that a later screening with younger viewers elicited the same laughter. “When the movie ended, the elderly ladies in front of us stood up. We had seen them laughing! But they remarked, ‘Oh, that was just disgusting and rude.'”

Every person on stage had a test screening story tied to Corman, whether it was a triumph or a failure. Jones recalled showing “Slumber Party Massacre” to an enthusiastic crowd.

“I initially called it ‘Sleepless Nights,’ but Roger renamed it ‘Slumber Party Massacre.’ And that was a brilliant move,” Jones quipped. “The audience loved it—the killings. I went outside, and Roger was near the popcorn stand. You could hear screams coming from inside. I said, ‘My god, Roger. What have we done?’ And he responded, ‘We’ve made the best preview in New World history.'”

Arkush also chimed in, boasting about landing the worst preview in New World history with “Deathsport.”

“The film was not being well-received. People were yelling at the screen. At one point, David Carradine says, ‘We will now have our duel.’ And someone in the audience shouts, ‘It’s about fucking time.’ And then, during the duel, they close the curtain,” Arkush shared, smiling and shaking his head. “Afterwards, we stood on the sidewalk. ‘What should we do, Roger?’ He said, ‘Oh, just ship it.'”

While New World Pictures also distributed films from acclaimed directors like Federico Fellini and Akira Kurosawa, their main focus in the 1970s was attracting a young audience with entertaining, low-budget movies. Corman observed that many studios at the time produced films with “a 50-year-old leading man and a 40-year-old leading lady.” The youth demographic was being overlooked.

“It had to have sex, violence, or humor,” explained Jones, describing Corman’s philosophy. “This is a mass medium. Our goal is to entertain. I never made anything that didn’t have one of those three elements.”

Dante added, “Within the confines of what he knew would sell a movie, he afforded us a great deal of creative freedom.”

Howard agreed, stating, “While budget was always a concern, quality was the priority. How can we capture the essence of a scene effectively and deliver excellence in a timely manner?”

At New World Pictures, filmmakers were allowed to refine their skills. However, with his vast experience directing 55 films and producing hundreds more, Corman also emphasized the need for disposability. Not every project was a hit, but the ethos was for artists to grow, learn, and move on to the next endeavor.

Or, as Corman succinctly put it to the audience, with a big grin, “No matter what happens, keep shooting.”

About Roger Corman
Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926)^[3] is an American film director, producer, and actor.^[4][5] Known under various monikers such as “The Pope of Pop Cinema”, “The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood”, and “The King of Cult”, he is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film.^[6] Many of Corman’s films are based on works that have an already-established critical reputation, such as his cycle of low-budget cult films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe.^[7]

In 1964, Corman—admired by members of the French New Wave and Cahiers du Cinéma—became the youngest filmmaker to have a retrospective at the Cinémathèque Française,^[8] as well as in the British Film Institute and the Museum of Modern Art. He was the co-founder of New World Pictures, the founder of New Concorde and is a longtime member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^[9] In 2009, he was awarded an Honorary Academy Award^[10] “for his rich engendering of films and filmmakers”.^[11]

Corman is also famous for distributing in the U.S. many foreign directors, such as Federico Fellini (Italy), Ingmar Bergman (Sweden), François Truffaut (France) and Akira Kurosawa (Japan). He mentored and gave a start to many young film directors such as Francis Ford Coppola,^[12] Ron Howard,^[13] Martin Scorsese,^[14] Jonathan Demme,^[15] Peter Bogdanovich,^[16] Joe Dante,^[17] John Sayles,^[18] and James Cameron,^[19][20] and was highly influential in the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s.^[21][22] He also helped to launch the careers of actors like Peter Fonda,^[23] Jack Nicholson,^[19] Dennis Hopper,^[18] Bruce Dern,^[24] Diane Ladd,^[25] and William Shatner.^[26] Corman has occasionally taken minor acting roles in the films of directors who started with him, including The Silence of the Lambs,^[27] The Godfather Part II,^[28] Apollo 13,^[29] The Manchurian Candidate,^[30] and Philadelphia.^[31]

A documentary about Corman’s life and career entitled Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel, directed by Alex Stapleton, premiered at the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals in 2011. The film’s TV rights were picked up by A&E IndieFilms after a well-received screening at Sundance